US4335968A - Tint restoring device employing a thermal printing head - Google Patents

Tint restoring device employing a thermal printing head Download PDF

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Publication number
US4335968A
US4335968A US06/205,566 US20556680A US4335968A US 4335968 A US4335968 A US 4335968A US 20556680 A US20556680 A US 20556680A US 4335968 A US4335968 A US 4335968A
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United States
Prior art keywords
line
tint
bits
control
power supply
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Expired - Lifetime
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US06/205,566
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English (en)
Inventor
Luc Regnault
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Thales SA
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Thomson CSF SA
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Assigned to THOMSON-CSF reassignment THOMSON-CSF ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: REGNAULT, LUC
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
    • H04N1/40—Picture signal circuits
    • H04N1/405—Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels
    • H04N1/4055—Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels producing a clustered dots or a size modulated halftone pattern
    • H04N1/4056—Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels producing a clustered dots or a size modulated halftone pattern the pattern varying in one dimension only, e.g. dash length, pulse width modulation [PWM]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
    • H04N1/40—Picture signal circuits
    • H04N1/40025—Circuits exciting or modulating particular heads for reproducing continuous tone value scales
    • H04N1/40031—Circuits exciting or modulating particular heads for reproducing continuous tone value scales for a plurality of reproducing elements simultaneously

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to tint restoring devices employing a thermal printing head, and more particularly to thermal printing systems.
  • the thermal printing art as used for inscribing a dot, consists in applying a voltage to a microresistor for a very short time, say 5 milliseconds, whereby said resistor leaves an imprint on thermosensitive paper by reason of its rise in temperature.
  • the present invention has for its object to further permit the reproduction of half-tints on a thermosensitive sheet by means of the thermal printing technique.
  • a device for restoring p tints comprising: a thermal printing head with n heating resistors (where n is a positive integer); a reading head for scanning a document line by line and delivering an analog signal the variations in amplitude of which are representative of variations in tint on the document; a sampler for sampling said signal and delivering n signal samples for each line scanned; an analog-digital converter for converting said signal samples and delivering, in respect of each sample, a binary number having q bits (where q is a positive integer); means for storing the n binary numbers delivered by the converter during scanning of a line in the document; power supply means for applying a voltage to each of the n resistors of the thermal printing head, said power supply means having n control inputs; and control means having q inputs for receiving the q bits forming each of the n binary numbers stored by said storage means, and n outputs respectively coupled to said n control inputs of the power supply means
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a graph in which dot optical density is plotted against resistor heating time.
  • a reading head 2 is coupled to the input of an analog-digital converter 4 through a sampler 3.
  • the four outputs of converter 4 are connected respectively to four inputs of a shift storage register M n through a buffer store 5 and n-1 storage shift registers M j arranged in series (with j varying from 1 to n-1, where n is a positive integer).
  • Each of the n registers M i (where i varies between l and n) has an auxiliary input connected to the output of a control device 8 and an auxiliary output connected to a corresponding input e i of power supply means 7.
  • Each of the n outputs s i of power supply means 7 is grounded via a corresponding resistor R i .
  • n storage registers M i form a set of storage shift registers 6, which set 6 and control device 8 together form control means of power supply means 7.
  • FIG. 2 optical density of a dot obtained on thermosensitive paper is plotted against the time for which the resistor associated to that dot has been heated.
  • the values b, g c , g m , g f and n along the Y-axis correspond to the optical densities of white, light gray, medium gray, dark gray and black respectively.
  • the values t 1 , t 2 , t 3 and t 4 along the X-axis correspond to the heating times required to obtain the densities g c , g m , g f and n respectively.
  • the reading head 2 scans a document line by line and delivers an analog signal the variations in amplitude of which represent variations in tint on the document. For each line scanned, said analog signal is sampled by sampler 3 to provide n samples.
  • the five binary numbers 0000, 0001, 0011 and 1111 are respectively associated to the five tints to be reproduced, to wit white, light gray, medium gray, dark gray and black.
  • analog-digital converter 4 converts each sample into a four-bit binary number associated to the tint to be reproduced.
  • Buffer store 5 memorizes the binary numbers delivered by the converter in the course of a line scan. The n binary numbers of a line are then transmitted at high speed to the set of storage shift registers 6.
  • each register M i has stored therein the binary number corresponding to the ith signal sample of the line scanned on the document. The several outputs of registers M i then deliver the least weighted bit of the stored number.
  • Control device 8 allows the registers M i to be shifted simultaneously whereby each register delivers the bits forming its stored binary number in ascending order of weighting. Further, the system is controlled in such manner that the bits of weights 0, 1, 2 and 3 be delivered by registers M i during the times t 1 , t 2 -t 1 , t 3 -t 4 and t 4 -t 3 .
  • Each of the outputs s i of power supply means 7 delivers a feed voltage when the corresponding input e i thereof is in the logic state 1.
  • Each of resistors R i can therefore be heated for a time equal to t 1 , t 2 , t 3 or t 4 .
  • the subject device of the invention is capable of reproducing any number of tints, it being sufficient for the number of bits in the binary number associated to each tint to be either increased or decreased.
  • the invention is equally applicable when the resistors are heated in batches instead of individually.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
  • Record Information Processing For Printing (AREA)
US06/205,566 1979-11-09 1980-11-10 Tint restoring device employing a thermal printing head Expired - Lifetime US4335968A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR7927711 1979-11-09
FR7927711A FR2469841A1 (fr) 1979-11-09 1979-11-09 Dispositif de restitution de teintes utilisant une tete d'impression thermique et systeme d'impression thermique comportant un tel dispositif

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US4335968A true US4335968A (en) 1982-06-22

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US06/205,566 Expired - Lifetime US4335968A (en) 1979-11-09 1980-11-10 Tint restoring device employing a thermal printing head

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US4335968A (cs)
EP (1) EP0028957B1 (cs)
JP (1) JPS5675882A (cs)
DE (1) DE3069845D1 (cs)
FR (1) FR2469841A1 (cs)

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4403225A (en) * 1982-05-24 1983-09-06 Honeywell, Inc. Multistylus recording system
US4409597A (en) * 1981-07-30 1983-10-11 Shimadzu Corporation Line printer for recording analog signals
US4412227A (en) * 1981-06-10 1983-10-25 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Thermal head
US4443121A (en) * 1982-03-02 1984-04-17 Sony Corporation Thermal printing apparatus with reference gray scale comparator
US4492482A (en) * 1982-01-25 1985-01-08 Sony Corporation Thermal head driving system
US4510523A (en) * 1980-12-26 1985-04-09 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Two-color copying machine
US4516135A (en) * 1982-03-19 1985-05-07 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Thermal printer capable of reproducing halftone image
US4563693A (en) * 1983-06-17 1986-01-07 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Gradation recorder
US4673952A (en) * 1983-06-16 1987-06-16 Nec Corporation Driving device for a thermal element
US4697938A (en) * 1984-04-17 1987-10-06 Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. Multi-tint thermal printing apparatus control system
US4731673A (en) * 1984-03-22 1988-03-15 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image output device
US4853707A (en) * 1981-07-17 1989-08-01 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Non-impact electrothermic recording method
EP0786894A1 (en) * 1996-01-25 1997-07-30 Agfa-Gevaert N.V. Method of activating individually energisable elements in a thermal recording head
US5833376A (en) * 1996-01-25 1998-11-10 Agfa-Gevaert Method of activating individually energisable elements in a thermal recording head

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS56109068A (en) * 1980-02-04 1981-08-29 Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp <Ntt> Recorder for multitone
JPS5825965A (ja) * 1981-08-08 1983-02-16 Sony Corp プリンタにおける着色特性補正回路
GB2137936B (en) * 1983-03-18 1987-06-03 Suwa Seikosha Kk Thermal printing apparatus
JPS61230962A (ja) * 1985-04-08 1986-10-15 Sato :Kk サ−マルヘツドの温度制御装置
US4691211A (en) * 1986-03-24 1987-09-01 Eastman Kodak Company Thermal printer
JPS6374664A (ja) * 1986-09-18 1988-04-05 Sony Corp 感熱ヘツドの駆動回路

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3604846A (en) * 1969-03-03 1971-09-14 Mead Corp Method and system for reconstruction of half-tone images
US3964388A (en) * 1974-03-04 1976-06-22 The Carter's Ink Company Method and apparatus for high speed non-impact printing with shade-of-grey control
US3975707A (en) * 1970-04-13 1976-08-17 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Device for controlling the density of printing characters
US4020465A (en) * 1973-12-26 1977-04-26 Texas Instruments Incorporated Thermal line printer
US4039065A (en) * 1972-08-15 1977-08-02 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Thermal printer
US4113391A (en) * 1975-10-27 1978-09-12 Kabushiki Kaisha Suwa Seikosha Method for controlling voltage and providing temperature compensation in a thermal printer
US4141018A (en) * 1976-11-08 1979-02-20 Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd. Thermal recording head and drive circuit
US4205395A (en) * 1978-11-08 1980-05-27 Shakespeare Marine Electronics, Inc. Depth recorder
US4216481A (en) * 1978-05-15 1980-08-05 Hitachi, Ltd. Method of driving a thermal head and apparatus therefor
US4224869A (en) * 1977-06-28 1980-09-30 Enertec Parallel line printer
US4262188A (en) * 1979-01-02 1981-04-14 Hewlett-Packard Company Method and apparatus for improving print quality of a thermal printer

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2017432A1 (de) * 1970-04-11 1971-10-28 Bosch Elektronik Gmbh Verfahren zur elektrischen Übertragung von Bildvorlagen mit schwarzen, weißen und grauen Helligkeitswerten
DE2020639A1 (de) * 1970-04-28 1971-11-18 Bosch Elektronik Gmbh Verfahren zur elektrischen UEbertragung von Bildvorlagen
JPS51123511A (en) * 1975-04-22 1976-10-28 Oki Electric Ind Co Ltd Degree recording method
US4074319A (en) * 1976-12-13 1978-02-14 Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated Light emitting diode array imaging system - parallel approach
JPS5436736A (en) * 1977-08-17 1979-03-17 Mitsubishi Electric Corp Record control device for heat-sensitive printer
JPS5479048A (en) * 1977-12-07 1979-06-23 Hitachi Ltd Heat sensitive recorder

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3604846A (en) * 1969-03-03 1971-09-14 Mead Corp Method and system for reconstruction of half-tone images
US3975707A (en) * 1970-04-13 1976-08-17 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Device for controlling the density of printing characters
US4039065A (en) * 1972-08-15 1977-08-02 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Thermal printer
US4020465A (en) * 1973-12-26 1977-04-26 Texas Instruments Incorporated Thermal line printer
US3964388A (en) * 1974-03-04 1976-06-22 The Carter's Ink Company Method and apparatus for high speed non-impact printing with shade-of-grey control
US4113391A (en) * 1975-10-27 1978-09-12 Kabushiki Kaisha Suwa Seikosha Method for controlling voltage and providing temperature compensation in a thermal printer
US4141018A (en) * 1976-11-08 1979-02-20 Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd. Thermal recording head and drive circuit
US4224869A (en) * 1977-06-28 1980-09-30 Enertec Parallel line printer
US4216481A (en) * 1978-05-15 1980-08-05 Hitachi, Ltd. Method of driving a thermal head and apparatus therefor
US4205395A (en) * 1978-11-08 1980-05-27 Shakespeare Marine Electronics, Inc. Depth recorder
US4262188A (en) * 1979-01-02 1981-04-14 Hewlett-Packard Company Method and apparatus for improving print quality of a thermal printer

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4510523A (en) * 1980-12-26 1985-04-09 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Two-color copying machine
US4412227A (en) * 1981-06-10 1983-10-25 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Thermal head
US4853707A (en) * 1981-07-17 1989-08-01 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Non-impact electrothermic recording method
US4409597A (en) * 1981-07-30 1983-10-11 Shimadzu Corporation Line printer for recording analog signals
US4492482A (en) * 1982-01-25 1985-01-08 Sony Corporation Thermal head driving system
AT389015B (de) * 1982-03-02 1989-10-10 Sony Corp Thermodruckeinrichtung
US4443121A (en) * 1982-03-02 1984-04-17 Sony Corporation Thermal printing apparatus with reference gray scale comparator
US4516135A (en) * 1982-03-19 1985-05-07 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Thermal printer capable of reproducing halftone image
US4403225A (en) * 1982-05-24 1983-09-06 Honeywell, Inc. Multistylus recording system
US4673952A (en) * 1983-06-16 1987-06-16 Nec Corporation Driving device for a thermal element
US4563693A (en) * 1983-06-17 1986-01-07 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Gradation recorder
US4731673A (en) * 1984-03-22 1988-03-15 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image output device
US4697938A (en) * 1984-04-17 1987-10-06 Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. Multi-tint thermal printing apparatus control system
EP0786894A1 (en) * 1996-01-25 1997-07-30 Agfa-Gevaert N.V. Method of activating individually energisable elements in a thermal recording head
US5833376A (en) * 1996-01-25 1998-11-10 Agfa-Gevaert Method of activating individually energisable elements in a thermal recording head
US6109799A (en) * 1996-01-25 2000-08-29 Agfa-Gevaert Method of activating individually energizable elements in a thermal recording head

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2469841B1 (cs) 1984-06-01
DE3069845D1 (en) 1985-01-31
EP0028957A1 (fr) 1981-05-20
EP0028957B1 (fr) 1984-12-19
FR2469841A1 (fr) 1981-05-22
JPS5675882A (en) 1981-06-23

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Owner name: THOMSON-CSF, 173 BL HAUSSMANN 75008 PARIS, FRANCE

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:REGNAULT, LUC;REEL/FRAME:003966/0909

Effective date: 19801017

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